


Hope never dies

by Kalisca



Category: Vampire: The Masquerade
Genre: 30 Kisses Challenge, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-12
Updated: 2014-08-16
Packaged: 2017-12-29 04:25:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1000862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalisca/pseuds/Kalisca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>27th prompt for my 30 Kisses Challenge: Beard. </p><p>"They would join the pirate ship, the Anarchs, and hold a dance on the ashes of their enemies." Malk/Nines</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the 27th prompt of my 30 Kisses Challenge, using 30 random words I picked with a word generator. The challenge will not be centered on one specific pairing or fandom.
> 
> The word was beard (The complete list is available on my profile page).
> 
> As I decided it would be a Malkavian/Nines, I thought it'd be fun to play a bit with the Malkavian perspective, so expect double meanings and lots of metaphors. At some point in the game, the Malk says "we" when talking about them, so I made the theory they could have multiple personalities in their head, like Jeanette and Therese. Who knows?
> 
> Comments are the joy of my life, either on here or on my [Tumblr](http://captain-amoruca.tumblr.com/) . :)

The taxi man had asked for a decision and a decision they had made. They would join the pirate ship, the Anarchs, and hold a dance on the ashes of their enemies. He had brought them to the hollowed hotel, stained with the corruption of the unhuman two-legged creatures they once had to defeat. They spoke with Helter Skelter who disliked them for some reasons, and then to the Damsel in Distress, and they learned a happy matter. The name-numbered street prince still walked the Earth, their anti leader. They were joyful, and after the Damsel told them she'd make sure no one would interrupt their reunion, they entered the room.

Nines was bearing the mark of the wolf beast.

"Rumor is you killed me. Sorry I couldn't clear your name yet, but I knew you'd make it here in one piece. Hell, you got out of the park alive. Quite a feat, kid."

"Imposter! The real Nines is in the belly of a wolf!" They said, because their mind couldn't believe their eyes.

"You mean this guy?" The beast's head was sleeping on the bed, sticking its tongue even in its silent slumber. They were impressed, but not surprised the street prince could do such a feat. "Can't say I got out without a scratch. Helluva brawl, though. Unfortunately, we don't have time to swap war stories. We were set up, kid. Someone tried to get rid of us, and the list of suspects is short. Lacroix or Xiao."

"They exchanged secrets vows before he proposed to you," they replied, a hand resting on the hip. The air was hot and dry like the Sahara desert, but perhaps their aura was compromised by the Nines'. It was beautiful.

"What? The Kuei-ji and Lacroix? Even the Camarilla wouldn't let that fly- he wanted an alliance with me because his other one failed. That's twice they've tried to get me killed... and kid, it's not gonna end there - it's us or them. You got a preference?"

They crooked a smile, for they knew his.

"You have all of me, which is all you need," said one of them, the one who always held sentiments for the name-numbered street prince.

Sadly for it, Nines was swimming in dark waters, swirled with blood red faces, and didn't take note of the meaning of its words.

"I'd like to take Xiao's heart im my hands and squeeze the black out of it; (Such a beautiful painting) and Lacroix - he wouldn't get off so easy. But after that wolf... I'm barely in one piece. If you survived a werewolf; I'd bet you can handle this."

They inwardly sighed; they wanted to follow one of their own's desires.

"So... where am I going?" It continued as the others watched in silence.

"I've already sent the troops to raise hell all over the city," the street anti-leader said. His wound was slowly pouring their drink down to his **beard.** "The Kuei-jin think we're busy with the Cam, so... they won't be expecting an attack. You know what's gotta be done, right?"

That they did.

"Chinatown's about to get the punchline."

"Xiao's been in LA far too many nights- make tonight her last."

They nodded, shifted under his sky eyes. They felt powerful, confident with the knowledge they'd succeed, together. They pushed the shy one for it to continue the conversation.

"I feel like a superhero." It smiled. Tonight they would end this.

"Once Xiao's out of the way, head to Lacroix's tower. You oust Lacroix, you'll be a hero in this city. I'm countin' on you."

"From the night of my death, I knew the snake would not strangle us for long."

The Nines nodded, a small smile widening his tired features - his tired soul. "Isaac's guaranteed me nobody's gettin' into Hollywood. I'll survive, but I wish I could be fighting at your side. This one's for LA, kid - no pressure."

"Wish me luck. Good luck. Thanks!" It said, because it felt funny to them. The street prince's smile reached his eyes.

"You don't need luck, kid. You're tough. I know you can do it." He raised on his feet, a few drops of red life falling under his jaw, and it couldn't stop their body from reaching out. Fingers swept the drops, and their tongue tasted the small offering.

"I am no child," it muttered, their hand returning to Nines' face, but to simply lay against his uninjured cheek. His eyes kept treasure chests hidden even from their gaze.

"I know. You Malkavians never can stay young for long, an' you were pushed into this mess too soon."

_Not yet numbered-man, cheeks flushed and bright eyes, waving journals in a cold street._ They smiled and chuckled. "Age is meaningless for those without expiration date."

The Nines chuckled and slid a large, calloused hand into their hair.

"We're on the edge of war an' there's nothing I can do, except..."

He brought their faces closer, his nose brushed against their cheek, sky eyes gazing into theirs. _Warmth._

"Except wish you luck." He brushed his lips against theirs, a simple touch. They pressed more insistently, telling him that it was okay to wish them all the luck he wanted. His hand was comfortable on the back of their head, gently supporting it as he deepened the kiss. _They glow in the warmth of the sun. It seeps even through their dead limbs._

They heard the voices around them, whispering dark musty secrets, but for once they didn't listen to them. They listened to the soft moan the Nines made when they squeezed his shoulders for leverage, pressed against his hard cold body. _Satin sheets under them, a gasp echoing in their ears as fascinated sky eyes were coming closer..._

They broke away, softly letting go of him even though one of them didn't want to. The numbered-man street prince's cheeks looked almost flushed. his eyes hazy, lost in his own maze.

"My mind shall stay with you while I defeat the snakes."

And they were gone, off to prevent the Final Nights.

**The end**


	2. Sharks are due to go extinct any time now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't planning on making a sequel to this (as always) but I got some inspiration and decided to go for it. I hope you enjoy!

They made it. The snake had bit its own tail, and exploded.

They watched the fireworks in the Ventrue tower, bright like the sun, and shivered under the warmth of the flames around them. The street was in ruins, and yet nothing seemed more beautiful to them at that moment. Well, except for one thing.

"Kid, you're alive." They turned around, and sure enough, the real beauty of the beast was there. His blue eyes shone in the midst of the red.

"Am I? My fingers feel cold," pondered the one with the crush on the name-numbered street prince.

"Here," offered Nines, taking their hand in his. _Hot hands on their thighs, beautiful teeth sinking into their neck._ "We need to get goin', the cops will be here soon." They nodded and followed the street prince, idly noticing their followers; the other members of their rebellious band.

They disappeared though as they walked through dark alleys, stray mortals watching them with blurred eyes even as blood had yet to dry on them. They had given up on life before it had given them up.

"This is your nest", they stated once the Nines opened the door of a small and blank apartment.

"Indeed, but there's no egg layin' around, I promise."

They looked around. "This is stuffed with decorations."

"Yeah, I don't come here but to sleep, so I don't care."

He showed them the bathroom. "Towels are in the top drawer, if you want to take a shower."

They did. The name-numbered prince seemed odd, fidgeting more than a corpse should. It was worrisome. The sounds he would make in the future were yet still fresh in their ears, and so they discarded the towel after drying themselves, clean of the blood except for the one tainting the voices.

Nines looked up from his seat and desire painted his gorgeous face at their view.

"I didn't know Malks could be so straightforward."

They walked to him, and the street prince stood, hovering over them.

"Can't say I don't like it," he whispered against their lips before kissing them. Devoured them would be more actual, for he was as famished of them as the wolf he took down mere hours ago.

_Still-not-prince beaten to the ground, choking on his own blood_. The vision was vivid behind their eyes, as a tongue licked its way between their lips. _Blood on his hands. Vengeance. Vengeance._

"We can see you," they hushed against his plump lips, hands stroking his hard biceps. "When you were yet to be reborn. A magical film for our mind."

They frowned as the name-numbered prince did the same. "We?" He asked. "Who are you talking about?"

They placed a hand on their chest. "Us."

Now the Nines' eyebrows went up. "…Right," he slowly replied, his voice unsure. "And how many is there in that pretty head of yours?"

"Only three. The voices don't count." They smiled.

"Shit, kid-… kids. Didn't know that. You always used the first person to talk, before."

"Because only one of us was spilling its love, while the others were watching. We miss popcorn."

"What was the voices you mentioned?"

"The other ants in the radio. A cobweb hanging in the dark."

"The Malkavian Madness Network. Didn't think it was actually real."

"As real as you and I, love." They gently touched the newly knitted skin of his cheek, still a bit tender.

"What else can you see?" The Nines asked, leaning into their palm; blue eyes as deep as their madness. He turned his head to linger a kiss on their wrist.

"Us, rolling around in a bed like little white rabbits."

He hummed in the back of his throat, and it almost seemed like a growl. His hands, which had been at bay so far, grabbed their naked hips with lover's hands. He forced them to tilt their head back; throat exposed, and licked a long trail up to their ear, lightly nibbling the skin. They could feel his fangs scrape their skin, not deep but enough to make them gasp in delight. He squeezed their ass, bringing them flush against his hard body. They gripped his jacket and yanked them from his broad shoulders.

"Let's be equal in this battle," they purred. They quickly got rid of his clothes to discard them Malkav knew where. The name-numbered prince took them in his steel arms as his soft lips never let go. Falling down on the soft bed, they let themselves be eaten whole by the magnificent blue-eyed Brujah. His hands were bliss and quiet, soft murmurs hushed in the back of their mind. Silence.

There were only nine songs for them; the toe-curling sensations instead of the painful ones they grew accustomed to since their rebirth. The Brujah was exquisite to them, rolling his strong hips into them and savoring their wine as he came to his small death, the sweetest of them all, before it was their turn to follow into the euphoria.

Nines hummed his contentment, and they shivered as he licked the bite mark he made.

"Was this like your vision?" He asked against his neck, his beard tickling them.

"Yes. No. Maybe. One more time to confirm?"

Their stamina was sky-high since they ended so many undead lives.

"Gimme a break. I'm not a real bunny, y'know," he chuckled. They pouted, but obliged, instead enjoying their merry time with the handsome prince snuggled against them. His arms were so big, like… the rest.

"The things you saw, when I was still human, it… was rough."

"Cold feet and empty stomach."

"Becomin' a kindred during the Great Depression probably saved my life, per say, 'cause only the luckiest kids survived." Lucky Nines. "I quickly realized how the Camarilla worked the same horseshit way and decided to move where no false prince would spy on me."

"Why is that the street prince open his closet to us?" They quietly asked, the one with the crush giggling with joy.

"The point I'm gettin' at, kids, is I never trusted anyone, putting my friends in a barbecue pit and all that crap." He frowned, shifted from his position against them to look up at their face. His eyes were as serious as the Final Death. "So lovin' someone is even harder, especially with the trio package special delivery."

His voice took a tender vibe at the end of his sentence, and his lips slightly turned upwards, afraid to show what laid underneath that Agitator's surface.

"Never the thought of failing you has crossed our mind. We're crazy in love with you, our only prince."

His cheekbones lightened up but his gaze darkened. Lust, desire falling in the pit of their stomach. He claimed their mouth like a frenzy Beast, his large fingers grasping their waist.

"Now, you wanted to confirm somethin'?"

They eagerly moaned their approval soon enough.

 

**The end**


	3. No one can hear our voices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to make a sequel's sequel! It's a bit on the short side, but I'm working on a 100 Theme Challenge at the same time, so it's kind of madness in my agenda at the moment. I hope you enjoy, and if you have any more requests including our dear couple, don't hesitate to share them with me.

Hips moving to the sound of the beat, arms in the air, head tilted back. The music coursed through them, thumping into their heart as if it tried to reanimate it, in vain. _Get a little star stuck and a little insane._ They already were there, and it never had been better. Love flowed with the Nines, much more than it should have been possible between two corpses, but here they were, the mermaid helpless without the blue sea.

They almost could quit their own body to touch the other dancers, extending their rotting soul until they couldn't feel where it began and where it ended. _Gonna rip you every way_. A hard wall pressed against their back, hugged them from behind and they turned to meet their Beauty of the Beast.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes." Nines purred, nose pressed against their neck.

"Only for yours."

"Come with me, I gotta tell you something."

They wished to continue dancing, especially with the name-numbered street prince at their side, but it was important. They followed him on the second floor of the Last Round, their eyes focused on his sweetrolls. Delicious sweetrolls.

"What does the name-numbered street prince need us for?"

They were dragged in one of the small bathrooms, luckily empty, and shoved against the wall. They growled, the Beast thirsting for blood, as rough plump lips fell on theirs, claiming them. They grasped handfuls of dark hair, gasped when Nines pressed his hand between their legs. He made quick work of their pants and underwear, before doing the same with his own. He didn't even bother to completely remove them. They climbed on his hips, hung unto him as he drove into them up to the balls. He began to mercilessly pound into them, groaning into their ear, and they chuckled in delight. It stung for a moment, but nothing they couldn't handle.

"You Beast."

He smirked against their lips, never stopping his thrusts. He took on of their legs and hooked one on his shoulder to go even deeper. They wouldn't last long at this rhythm, and neither would he. Flashes passed through their mind, glimpses of a not reborn Nines yet, scowling his life away. He angled his movements so he'd touch a part of them that made them almost frenzy, and they bit deep in his neck. That seemed to undone him, as he came hard and long, and his wine was rich on their tongue. They spasmed and moaned, saw red for a long moment. When they came back, the Nines had gently lowered them on the ground and taken care of the mess. They purred.

"Something important , the name-numbered street prince said."

"Told you to stop callin' me like that, dollfaces."

"We cannot not call you what you are."

He rolled his eyes before putting back their pants.

"Beautiful prince."

"I'm not a prince, and neither will I ever be. Now, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. A few Camarilla skunks came here and said they wanted to join us."

"Snakes trying to lose their skin before it's ripe."

"I suggest we help them losing it." They eagerly nodded.

Thoughts of giving these men madness made them quiver in excitation as they put themselves back together from their activity.

The meeting was taking place in the abandoned warehouse near the drinking-hole, where the carnival brother had ended one of his victims' life.

They weren't used to have a partner in crime but the Beauty of the Beast didn't want to let them alone, in fear they'd drink more wine than their diet recommended.

They knew a bad wind would pick on as soon as they saw the snakes' faces. Forcing their skin not to tear, but to crawl back in.

"Snakes don't usually meet with pirates," they greeted the leader. The Nines made a grunt at their side, which they ignored.

"Seriously, a Malk up for the talking?" The second-in-hand rolled his eyes. She looked like a piggy.

"And you are very badly beginning this conversation, it ain't just a Malk," Nines snarled, putting a hand on their shoulder. A gesture to stop whom exactly, they didn't know.

"So the sharks want to climb on board and become pirates?" They continued, smirking, because that was a funny idea.

The four snakes looked at each other, and they felt like they were readying their arsenic.

"In fact," the leader smirked, eyes gleaming. "We got a lil' surprise for you."

And a dozen sharks jumped out of the sea, surrounded the pirate ship. The whole gang crew should have come, in the end.

"Really, you think you can defeat us?" The Nines threw an annoyed glance at them. "You're just wastin' our time."

He took out his firearm and put a bullet in the leader's right eye so fast they only had time to unsheathe their precious katana in the meanwhile. Casting Domination, they obliged some to kill their companions as they sliced open a shark who didn't know how to properly use its fangs. The ashes would be no fun to wash in the morrow, they idly remarked as they watched the last one suffer its Final Death after a fun Dementation. It always danced in joy.

"Well, looks like we won't have any new fellow members any time soon."

"A shame, really… Not."

He looked at them, his eyebrows high on his forehead, before he was laughing and slightly shaking his head.

"I suppose it's better to be alone than not well accompanied."

They nodded, cleared their sword on their jacket before sheathing it again.

"Does the Nines think other sharks will attempt to climb our ship?"

He grunted, walking back to them. "Wouldn't think so, not so soon anyway. They'll search the sea for other ships first, and the Kuei-Jin would be more in their league of garbage choice than us."

They chuckled. "Shall we head back, then? Their blood smells, and you'll clean yourselves with us." They half-turned, ready not to linger. The Nines' eyes held some dark promises involving them in the shower, hard muscles glittering with soap and large hands touching exactly where they were needed.

"The perks of being a Malkavian. Let's go, then."

**The end**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics at the beginning are from Genitorturers' Lecher Bitch, the song of the Last Round.


	4. It casts a crooked shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Nagah are supposed to be an extinct species, yet there's a nest in LA's sewers right after the mummy of a supposed Antediluvian is nowhere to be found and Lacroix explodes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter this time! Sorry for the wait, but I was busy doing a 100 Theme Challenge on my blog, so working on side projects on top of that was damn near impossible.
> 
> Some of you didn't like the sex scene in the last chapter. I do understand that it's unexpected and fast and that it might not be to everyone's taste, but I want to point the fact that vampires live mostly on their primal needs, and Brujah act a lot of the times impulsively. It might be seen as quick and meaningless sex, but Nines cares a lot for our dear Malk, and I hope it's visible through his small actions. I like to think he's kind of a softie, but not when it comes to actual sex, if that makes any sense. Anyway, sorry for the ramble, I just wanted to clear up my opinion about the scene.

Birds were chirping outside their room, their chant lulling them out of their slumber. They sighed, turned on their other side to face the broad back of their lover, a perfect, unblemished expanse of ivory skin.

"Do you hear them?" They murmured, moving so they could place a kiss on a shoulder blade.

"What ?" A sleep-laced voice groaned.

"The birds."

Nines rolled in the bed to face them and threw a muscled arm around their middle, bringing them against his large chest. He sighed. "Why don't you go back to sleep, dolls, we still have time before sunset."

"No, I want to see them." They removed his arm from them and got up from the bed, their feet paddling softly on the wooden floor. They went to a window covered by a thick curtain and moved it aside. The birds were calling to them. The sun drilled into their eye, burning it, and they stepped back with a hiss.

"Fuck, why would you do that?" Nines bolted from the bed and came to them, who were clutching a side of their face in their hand.

"Let me see," he ordered when they wouldn't remove it.

"I… I just wanted to see them. It's been so long…"

"And you forgot you weren't a mortal anymore in the process." He was angry, but still cringed in sympathy when he saw the damage. "Damn, that must hurt. Here, drink." He offered his wrist, and they slowly took it without a word, a look of remorse painted across their features before they dig their teeth in his skin like it was butter. They moaned as they drank, feeling the pain go away.  _Hunger was threatening to make the boy mad._ They released his wrist once they were sated.

"Thank you, our Prince."

The Nines rolled his eyes. "How many times will I have to tell you I'm a baron, not a prince."

They smiled, licking the bit of blood on their lips, and his blue eyes followed that sinful tongue. "Same difference."

He scowled. "You have such a thick head, Malk, you even forget that sunlight is fatal to us. You should stop mumblin' nonsense all the time and remember the most important things, like how to survive."

It was their turn to scowl. "Our web makes sense and has a mean, disrespectful Brujah. Should we bring some insight into your hollow mind?" Already the tendrils of  _Dementation_ were brushing his mind, and he took a step back.

"Don't you dare try this with me," he hissed, his teeth showing.

"And yet you dare to say such mean words about our sacred temple," they replied with hurt in their voice. They dropped their hands and turned around to go lock themselves in the bathroom. Angry bloody tears ran down their white cheeks, and they wiped them with the back of their hand. How could a dead organ still emit feelings and hurt them so much? The ones not in love with the Nines comforted as they could their companion, talking about their finds with the help of the radio.

There was a soft rasp against the door. "I'm sorry, dollfaces. I just woke up and anger took over. I didn't mean it. Please, open the door." It took a moment, but they opened the door, red smudged all over their face.

"Oh, don't cry, I'm so sorry," he hushed, wiping the tears with his thumbs. He kept their face in his large hands, brushing a kiss against their forehead. His beard scraped their skin, and his gaze soothed their hurt. "Forgive me please, your head is the most precious temple to me."

They calmed down, and even cracked a smile when Nines licked the blood on one cheek in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"We have a killer to hunt down, remember? We're already up, so let's brainstorm to remember what we already know on it."

"A serpent-man is hunting in the shadows," they agreed, which earned them a frown.

"You mean a Nagah? I thought those things were extinct, and besides, we never established what it was in the first place…"

He stopped, and a laugh escaped him at his realization. For many nights a killer had plagued the streets of Los Angeles, giving the Final Death to too many Kindred, and they'd been on its traces without any way of finding it. It seemed like the Madness Network had done its job once more, and they wouldn't need to search more for who was the author of the gruesome murders.

"The sewers await the fall of an assassin," they smirked.

The Nines prepared his trusty gun and grenade while they attached their katana around their hips.

"How will we deal with it?" They asked. "Did you ever meet one?"

"No, but I heard a lot about them. I don't think it will be much of a problem though, not with you."

They smiled and retrieved their Desert Eagle before they went out.

"Do you know their weakness?"

"No, do you?" He replied with amusement.

They pondered for a moment as they listened to the whispers.  _Venom bitter scraping minds._ "It plays with its prey's head before it spits on it. Also, it never hunts alone."

"Well, fuck," the Nines cursed, grunting in annoyance.

They wondered how many monsters they defeated in the somber, damp parts of the city. The creatures' past presence haunted the shadows of the dangling lights, sounds who shouldn't be still echoing in the long corridor.

"I hate this place," the Nines grumbled as he slid through the opening. They chuckled and followed him, falling into his waiting arms. They didn't need help, yet their prince loved to do so.

"We would long be insane if we had been pestering about the smell of some locations we visited under Lacroix's despotism," they replied, cheeky, and earned themselves a glare.

"Are you sayin' I'm a whiny princess?"

"Perhaps we are. Are you admitting you're a princess?"

"That was simply a weak comparison, I wasn't-…" He sighed, ran a hand through his short hair. "You are so frustratin' sometimes."

They grinned and turned around to begin their quest. A few times they had to turn around before dead ends, and the corpses lingered on the floor after they walked through.

"Wait," the Nines whispered to them after a while, his bright blue eyes darting around. He sniffed, then snatched at what seemed to be nothing. Before them, the  _Obfuscate_  illusion dissipated, and a Nosferatu smiled almost sheepishly at them.

"Hello, there," she said, her voice like broken glass scraping against cement.

"Who are you? Why are you following us?" The name-numbered street prince asked on a tone that made them shiver with excitement.

"I'm Daisy. Are you looking for the Nagah as well?"

"I am the one asking questions."

"I wasn't following you, but you're heading in the same direction than I am, and you're killing all the creatures, so I thought, why not kill two birds with one stone?"

"While you hide in our shadows," they replied lowly. "If you want our help, walk before us, ugly kindred."

The Nosferatu rolled her eyes in annoyance but did as she was told. The Nines looked at them with amusement at their comment, and they continued their descent to the nest.

"You still didn't say why you're pursuin' the Nagah,  _Daisy_ ," he said after a while. "I'm not sure you'd be able to handle one on your own, let alone a whole nest, so there must be another reason."

Daisy grumbled something. "It was for SchrekNET. The Nagah are supposed to be an extinct species, yet there's a nest in LA's sewers right after the mummy of a supposed Antediluvian is nowhere to be found and Lacroix explodes."

They hummed. "Only fools would believe in coincidences. The secret police is in town for the corrupted."

Daisy looked at the name-numbered street prince, smirking. "She's an interesting Malk, that one."

"We are," they replied for him. "And you're a boring sewer rat so far. Rats are to eat cheese and gather information."

The Nosferatu groaned. "I don't have much information on the wereserpent so far, I was going to sneak through the nest to put some cameras up to gather infos, but I guess now it's useless if you go to destroy it. I hope I'll live to tell my experience."

A tall cobra interrupted their conversation, and it was the first time they were seeing one in the sewers. They quickly got rid of them.

"It's a Vasuki, a Nagah in complete snake form. It means we're close," Daisy noted, and the Nines kept his gun in his hand. They knew they were at the place when some snake skins littered the floor right before they entered a wide room. Bigger creatures loved bigger space.

Many serpents roamed freely in the room, everywhere, their bright eyes fixed on them, and they felt an unknown hand brush up the webs of their minds, trying to get through. Uncomfortable.

"Is that Voldemort?" They asked as the Nagah, possibly the nest head, approached them. It looked human, but scales covered its skin and hair, and it had no nose. The Nines tsked beside them, and they huffed. They noted that the scurvy rat was nowhere in sight, probably hiding to observe whatever fight was to happen.  _Venom bit_.

"You killed one of mine, Kindred," it hissed, its snake tongue slipping out. They unconsciously kept their hand on their katana, ready to cut it off.

"And you killed a lot of our kind, Nagah," the Nines replied, appearing cool despite the way his back stood straight and the tense line in his shoulders.

"We are the guardians who deliver justice, and this city is infested with the corrupted." It looked at them, slit eyes unblinking, and they stared at it. The Tzimisce they once defeated was a lot more intimidating.

"Nagah never showed up before, what changed?" their lover replied.  _It casts a crooked shadow._

"Its mind is not one of a guardian," they said, wary.

"Yours are tangled with spiders and cobwebs, Lunatics."

"Its eyes are blind," they whispered to the Nines. "It can't discern the light from the dark, and it wants to corrupt our minds." They could sense its presence, lurking around, but they wouldn't let it in, for there was no more room.

"I think-" The Nines clutched his head in one hand, gritting his teeth together as the Nagah slid up his nose. They looked at the wereserpent, noticed how its eyes were red and the other serpents were focused on them, their hiss like nails on a blackboard.  _Venom is dripping down nine ears._

"Enough hilarity, let's play," they groaned and shot it with their Desert Eagle. It screamed, and everything moved in a blur. They only had time to slice the thick neck of a cobra before another launched at them, knocking them off their feet.

"Goddamnit!" Daisy swore before a gunshot threatened to deafen them. A creature close to them went down, and then a swarm of insects appeared out of thin air to attack. They took that diversion to return to their prince, who was still in the same position.

"The Nines must not fall for the wereserpent's sweet words whispered in your mind. Come back to us, our prince," they gently mumbled to him before they chopped off another snake's head, its venom melting the floor not far away. Their gun vibrated in their hand when they shot the Nagah leader once more when they spotted it through the scales. Its red eyes darted at them and it opened its mouth to show its fangs. Its body began to morph, lengthen, until it stood high above them.  _Danger._  At least the little fans were all dead and only the rock star was left to destroy.

Its claws chased them as they dodged and used their gun and sword on it, their  _Dementation_ having no effect. Daisy continued to shoot with her Remington M700 while the Nines continued to fight in the battlefield of his mind.

Off was their arms, their katana grinning with satisfaction as the Nagah roared with pain and fury. A wave of fear hit them, but they knew it was nothing but the creature's rotten power and ignored it.

Another gunshot was heard from behind them, and there was the name-numbered street prince back at their side, his sky gaze as deadly as ever. He smirked at the blood the creature had lost already. Together, it was only a matter of time before its carcass laid on the floor, the corrupted police leaving the city.

"You got rid of its presence," they said to the Nines, turning to him. The one in love with him was proud of him. No one but themselves was allowed to play with his head.

"That fucker never had me, trust me," he replied. "But I'm glad it's dead for good."

"As I am," Daisy added, jumping from her vantage point. "If this Nagah was tainted, perhaps its friends are as well. I need to report this to Gary Golden."

After a short farewell, they parted ways, Daisy back in her  _Obfuscate_  disguise. As their prince and them laid in the comfort of their bed, dawn softly blushing at the horizon, they finally spoke what they couldn't stop thinking. "What did the Nagah hush to you?"

"Nothing you dollfaces have to worry about," he replied, yet his hand in their hair tightened its grip for but a second.

"Liar." They looked up from their place on his muscled chest, and anger for that creature curled low in their stomach when they saw the pain in those fascinating eyes. How they wished they could watch its corpse burn once more. Their fingers traced the solid line of his nose, the arch of his brow, before they settled on his cheek. "You can't force us not to worry, our dearest Nines."

He chuckled, and his gaze softened. He turned his head to press a kiss in the palm of their hand. "It was pictures of my past, of people I cared about dyin' an' me watchin', knowin' I couldn't do shit to save them. I've dealt with this mess before, but sometimes the scar is harder to look by without rememberin' the pain."

_Sobs echoing in the messy room as a child was crouched near a corpse._  They tenderly kissed his full lips, knowing they couldn't remove the sadness, but at least they could distract him from it.

**The end**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the information I use for this story is mostly from the White Wolf Wiki of the VTMB one.


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